Meg Whitman changes position on gay marriage

Waaaaaaay back when — nearly 2 1/2 years ago when she was a Republican candidate for governor — Meg Whitman told us that she would defend Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage in California. If she was just saying that waaaaaaaaaay back then to try to appeal to conservatives, it wasn’t even a smart political position. She lost by 13 points to Guv Jerry Brown.

Now, (more) free of (partisan) political constraints as CEO of H-P, Whitman has flip-flopped — or as President Obama lawyered it, “evolved” on gay marriage.

Here’s why, according to a statement that Meg, as an individual, released Tuesday:

“As the Republican nominee for governor of California three years ago, I supported the majority of Californians who voted for Proposition 8 and against same sex marriage. After careful review and reflection since then, I have come to embrace civil marriage for same sex couples. I have personally concluded that there is no legitimate reason for denying same sex couples the same rights that are available to opposite sex couples, and I hope the Supreme Court will affirm the judgment of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.”

And here’s a snippet from a longer statement Meg posted on her LinkedIn page Tuesday, in which she managed to plug her book:

During my business career, I have lived by a philosophy I refer to as “the power of many.” I truly believe that what we can do together, none of us can do alone. By leading from this principle, I have been able to manage thriving organizations that have delivered great results. I believe the same holds true for society at-large. We are simply better when we are bonded together.

Marriage is the fundamental institution that unites a society. It is the single greatest contributor to the well-being of adults and children because it promotes eternal principles like commitment, fidelity and stability. It makes no difference whether the marriage is between a man and woman or a woman and woman. Marriage makes society better.

The core argument of the amicus brief is that there is no legitimate, fact-based reason for providing different legal treatment of committed relationships between same-sex couples. Without the presence of such a rationale, precedent should result in the U.S. Supreme Court overturning California’s ban on gay marriage.

The amicus brief argues that the oft-cited claims that civil marriage between same-sex couples will somehow hurt traditional marriage and be detrimental to children have been rejected by social science. Rather, we now know that children who grow up in intact, married families are much more likely to do well in school, achieve professional success and enjoy the benefits of stable, adult family lives.

Whitman is among more than 80 prominent Republicans — including several big name Californians — who signed a friend of the court brief in support of the California plaintiffs taking on Prop 8 before the Supreme Court. The list is still growing, says the American Foundation for Equal Rights, with more names to be added when the brief is officially filed later this week.

Other California Republicans signing the brief include former Rep. Mary Bono Mack,who served in the House from 1998-2013; Steve Schmidt, a former deputy assistant to the President and Counselor to the Vice President, 2004-2006, and manager of Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and top adviser to former CA Guv Arnold Schwarzenegger; Orinda-born and UC-Berkeley alum and McCain adviser Nicole Wallace; and former SoCal Rep. Michael “ex-husband of Arianna” Huffington.

Most of the Republicans on the list — which you can see here — are out of office or are consultants now. Will be curious to see which electeds, if any, come out in support of marriage now that a little high-profile cover has been provided to them. Doing so would be in direct opposition to GOP House Speaker John Boehner and others who not only oppose same sex marriage, but wants to spend taxpayer money defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court.